What is Ecotourism?
Ecotourism, or sustainable tourism, is a developing trend focused on environmental conservation and the welfare of host cultures. It promotes sustainable travel that will help preserve natural settings for the enjoyment of future visitors. This means making responsible travel choices that will benefit the places visited.
Today, tourists have access to every corner of the world and travel to untouched, natural areas is increasingly popular. Before you head off to see nature in its pristine splendor, however, it is important to realize how you will affect the place you visit. Making your trip an eco-vacation will help ensure that you leave a good impact.
BENEFITS for the Environment:
Ecotourism provides an economic incentive for conservation and Green practices. This generates funding for wildlife preserves, initiatives that protect biodiversity and the natural setting, and support for Green businesses such as eco-lodges. As a result, undisturbed nature attains a high financial value. Ecotourism also involves the application of general conservation ideals wherever possible. For example, ecotourists try to reduce emissions by riding public transit or flying direct.
Ecotourists can also participate in education and direct action to preserve pristine environmental areas through going on what is known as volunteer vacations. Volunteer vacationers can participate in reforestation projects, wetland restoration, wildlife rescue, environmental studies, trail maintenance, photojournalism, and organic agriculture. Such vacations allow for one to make a tangible difference while educating oneself about a new environmental effort. Volunteers often feel that they have a stake in the environmental project, sometimes returning to see how the project has faired, and often educating others upon returning from the vacations.
BENEFITS for Native Cultures:
Ecotourism also strives to improve local welfare. Conventional tourism often displaces indigenous peoples off cultural lands in order to erect tourism infrastructure and Western-style amenities. Ecotourism helps preclude these deleterious impacts by establishing sustainable tourism practices that take into consideration the needs and wishes of the host peoples. Ecotourists also support local cultures by hiring native guides, patronizing local businesses, and traveling in small groups to minimize impact.
COST: Variable
Ecotourism is not necessarily more expensive than conventional travel, but it all depends on the nature of your vacation. Certain ecotourism choices are more costly; for example, flying direct reduces emissions, but often costs more than using available flights with connections. Other eco-activities save money; for example, riding public transit or walking is cheaper than a car rental. Many sustainable travel practices require little to no money at all; examples include conserving water or volunteering to help a local cause.
TIME and EFFORT: Moderate to High
Prefixing something “eco” does not automatically make it benevolent or sustainable. Tourism in general is consumer driven, and financial green often trumps environmental green when it comes to motivation. Thus, it is up to the responsible traveler to make sure that tourism dollars are supporting the actual environment rather than ecotourism exploitation. This often requires research, planning, and commitment. Ecotourism is about becoming an informed and responsible traveler so that our vacation activities make a difference for a healthier world.
As of yet, ecotourism is not a centralized or organized movement. Certification programs are currently in development in different countries and on a global level to set ecotourism standards. Ultimately, however, it is up to each responsible traveler to represent the ecotourism ideal through individual actions.
However, if one opts for the less extravagant options of backpacking or camping out, packing and trip planning need not be much more complicated than for any other vacation. Instead of meticulously pouring over city guide books, one spends that time pouring over maps of trails, campsites, and lodging locations. Instead of making sure to remember a cell phone charger, one makes sure to remember a first aid kit.
The Ethic of “Leave No Trace”
Whether one is backpacking, camping, exploring a new city, or exploring a natural area abroad, the environmentalist ethic of Leave No Trace can be put into practice. The Wilderness Act of 1964 created a legal definition of wilderness and legal protections for wilderness areas. In the 1970s and 1980s, environmental advocates devised a set of principles collectively entitled Leave No Trace in order to promote low-impact outdoor recreation without limiting access to wilderness areas, since limited access could have potentially jeopardized popular support for the Wilderness Act. The principles of Leave No Trace, while most often applied in wilderness settings, can also be applied in other travel situations among those who wish to minimize the footprint they leave as they journey.
The first principle of Leave No Trace is that one should plan ahead and be well-prepared. In a wilderness situation, this can mean choosing an adequate campsite ahead of time, while, in an urban setting, it can mean planning ahead so as to generate as little trash as possible. The other principles of Leave No Trace that can readily be applied to urban, rural, and wilderness settings include: dispose of waste properly, leave what you find, respect wildlife, and be considerate of others. The Leave No Trace ethic is often summarized by the statement: Take only photos, leave only footprints. In urban areas, it may sometimes be appropriate to take souvenirs in addition to photos, but the general ethic of Leave No Trace is applicable in all travel settings and is helpful to keep in mind.
Tips on Becoming a Responsible Traveler
Ecotourism refers to sustainable travel to natural places, but you can be a responsible traveler everywhere you go! Try some of the following tips…
Cultural Sensitivity
* Research your destination before you go. This will help you understand local cultures and avoid any inadvertent disrespect. In addition, knowing the local area will allow you to plan ecotourism activities to make the best use of your time.
* Keep an open mind. Engage with the locals and learn from them. Listen carefully and observe the local culture.
* Be sensitive to your surroundings. Wear appropriate clothing; nothing flashy or flamboyant. Do not flaunt your wealth or fancy electronics. Do not use your status as a tourist to seek attention.
* Hire a local guide instead of an expatriate. You will be supporting the local community, and a native person will be able to convey more profound knowledge and extra insights into his or her culture.
* Only take photographs of people who have given you explicit permission to do so. Photographing without permission can be seen as reducing a person to the status of a thing.
Ecological Mindfulness
* Minimize emissions by walking or biking whenever possible. Ride public transit and trains, or rent an alternative fuel vehicle. When driving and flying are unavoidable, plan to travel by the shortest and fastest route.
* Conserve water and electricity. These are precious resources, especially in undeveloped regions, and using them indiscriminately places an unnecessary burden on the local community.
* Minimize garbage by removing all excess wrappers and packaging before the trip. Undeveloped regions and poor countries often have inadequate waste management systems that are unable to accommodate extra trash from tourists.
* Be a responsible shopper and find out where products come from. Buy local products made with renewable resources. Purchase organically grown food. Do not buy souvenirs made with animal or plant products from endangered species.
* Stay at an eco-lodge and patronize sustainable local businesses. These establishments contribute to local communities and provide goods and services that come from local sources.
* If traveling in a natural area, stay on the trails. Walking off the trail can cause compaction of the soil and expand the trail into natural areas that are meant to be protected from degradation.
Giving
* Use your vacation as an opportunity for philanthropy. Pack items to donate to the local community. Ask your guide if there are any local projects you could volunteer for or conservation programs you could help support.
Ecotourism Resources
The International Ecotourism Society
http://www.ecotourism.org
The Ecotourism Portal – Book an Eco-vacation!
http://www.ecotourism.cc
Volunteer Vacations
Volunteer Vacations with the American Hiking Society
http://www.americanhiking.org/volunteerVacation.aspx
Volunteer Vacations with the Sierra Club
http://www.sierraclub.org/outings/national/service.asp
The Ramblers Association
http://www.ramblers.org.uk/
Partners in Responsible Tourism
http://www.pirt.org/
